Filtering arrangement for motor fuels



Jan. 3, 1967 E. T. YOUNG 3,295,685

FILTERING ARRANGEMENT FOR MOTOR FUELS Filed Feb. 17, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EINAR T YOUNG QM/WW ATTORNEY Jan. 3, 1967 E. T. YOUNG 3,

FILTERING ARRANGEMENT FOR MOTOR FUELS Filed Feb. 17, 1965 5 Sheets-$heet 2 Fig: 3

INVENTOR. EINAR T. YOUNG ATTORNEY E. T. YOUNG FILTERING ARRANGEMENT FOR MOTOR FUELS Jan. 3, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 G N U 0 Y R A m E United States Patent )fi ice 3,295,685- Patented Jan. 3, 1967 3 295 685 FILTERING ARnANGisMiiNT FOR Moron FUELS Einar T. Young, Newtown Square, Pa., assignor to Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 433,284 4 Claims. (Cl. 210-323) This invention relates to a filtering arrangement for motor fuels, and more particularly to an arrangement for final filtering of two different motor fuel components, at a point ahead of the point of mixing thereof and during the dispensing of these two components from a dispensing device or pump into the gasoline tank of a motor vehicle. Since reference has been made hereinabove to different motor fuel components and to the mixing thereof, it will be understood that what is involved is a filtering arrangement in a system for dispensing blended motor fuels.

It has been found desirable, in order to make certain .that an absolutely clean product (motor fuel, or gasoline) is sold to the ultimate consumer, to pass such product through a filter which removes solid particles, while it is being delivered into the consumers receptacle or tank. Such a filter will remove most of the solid material (such as dirt, rust, etc.) which may have gotten mixed into the gasoline between the refinery and the customers gasoline tank. A filter answering this description may be termed a final filter.

In my prior Patents Nos. 2,880,908, dated April 7, 1959, and 2,977,970, dated April 4, 1961, particularly the latter, there are disclosed dispensing systems for dispensing selected blends of motor fuels. In such systems two motor fuel components, of different octane ratings, are separately metered by a dispensing device or pump and are then conveyed from the pump through separate hoses or conduits to a dispensing nozzle, where they are mixed to produce the final, blended fuel product. In order to effect a final filtering action in a dispensing system of this type, it is essential that the two fuel components be separately conveyed to and through respective filters, and then be conveyed separately to the two hoses, all without any mixing of the two components taking place.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel filtering arrangement for motor fuels.

Another object is to provide a filtering arrangement for dispensing pumps of the type described in my aforementioned patents.

A further object is to provide a novel filtering arrangement for separately filtering two motor fuel components.

The objects of this invention are accomplished, briefly, in the following manner: A body (e.g., a casting), having therein separate passages for each of the two fuel components, is secured to the hose knuckle or hose elbow of the dispensing pump, in such a way that the two passages in the body are in communication with respective ones of the two openings in the outlet coupling of the pump. A pair of filtering elements are mounted on and secured to said body, in such a way that the inlets of these elements communicate respectively with the two passages, and means are provided for coupling a pair of conduits or hoses respectively to the outlets of these two filtering elements.

A detailed description of the invention follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top or plan view of the filtering arrangement of the invention in place on a dispensing pump, a portion thereof being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section through the cast body of the apparatus, taken on line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a section through the casting, taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 1, with a manifold plug inserted in the casting.

The filtering arrangement of this invention has particular utility for a proportioning-type dispensing apparatus or pump such as shown for example in my aforementioned patents. In a complete dispensing system using such an apparatus, the two motor fuel components are separately metered by components located within the pump housing, and from the housing the two components flow through separate hoses to a dispensing nozzle, whereat they are mixed together to produce a blended final product. In a filtering arrangement for a dispensing system of the above-described type, it is essential that the two fuel components be separately filtered, without any intermixing of such components.

As illustrated in FIG. 14 of my Patent 2,977,970, the two fuel components flow out of the dispensing pump housing through two vertically-spaced passageways (separated by a more or less horizontally-extending shelf-like partition) into a hose knuckle or hose elbow, which latter provides threaded-type couplings or fittings for connection of one end of each of the two tubes of the concentric dispensing hose (hose-within-a-hose). The filtering arrangement of this invention, as will be described more in detail hereinafter, is connected to the couplings or fittings provided in the hose knuckle or hose elbow.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1 thereof, the numeral 1 denotes a portion of the side wall (housing) of a gasoline dispensing pump, for example of the proportioning type disclosed in my previously-mentioned patents. A hose knuckle or hose elbow 2 is secured adjacent an opening provided in wall 1 by means of a mounting plate 3. Hose knuckle 2 contains upper and lower horizontally-extending fluid passageways 4 and 5, respectively (see FIG. 2), separated by a shelf-like partition 6, as shown in my Patent 2,977,970. Mounting plate 3 contains two apertures (not shown) which couple the inner ends of passageways 4 and 5, respectively, to individual passages extending from a proportioning valve within the housing of the dispensing pump, as shown in my Patent 2,977,970. The arrangement is such that the low-octane fuel component or base, after being metered in the pump, flows outwardly into passageway 5, and the high-octane fuel component or additive, after being metered in the pump, flows. outwardly into passageway 4.

At the outer end of shelf 6, there is provided a tapped aperture 7 which extends in a generally vertical direction into communication with the outer end of passageway 4 and the outer end of passageway 5 (which has a width in excess of the diameter of aperture 7) turns downwardly into a generally vertical direction and has, at the lower end of the elbow 2, a tapped female pipe connection 8. The diameter of pipe connection 8 is larger than the diameter of aperture 7 (which latter provides a female coupling for a pipe nipple), and these two couplings are coaxial; the common axis of these couplings may extend at a small angle to the vertical (say 15), as illustrated in FIG. 2, for convenience in coiling the dispensing hose when the latter is not in use. As illustrated in my Patent 2,977,970, if the filtering arrangement of the present invention is not used, one end of a short pipe nipple is threaded into aperture 7, the other end of this nipple then serving as a clamptype coupling for the inner one of two concentric hoses (which together constitute the dispensing hose for the system), the outer one of the two concentric hoses having at its end a male pipe fitting which mates with the outer pipe connection 8. Thus, according to the prior practice the high-octane fuel component would flow from passageway 4 via aperture 7 and the inner dispensing hose to the dispensing nozzle, while the low-octane fuel component would fiow from passageway via pipe connection 8 and the outer dispensing hose to the dispensing nozzle.

According to the present invention, the couplings 7, 8 are used to provide separate, respective inlets (corresponding to the respective fuel components) for two separate filtering elements. Also, these couplings are used to mount the filtering arrangement in place on the dispensing 4pump.!7

A cast, machined body, denoted generally by numeral 9, serves as a base or support for the filtering arrangement of the invention, and contains internal passages for the two fluids. The casting 9 has at one side thereof a generally vertically-extending bore 10 which has a diameter substantially equal to the width of passageway 5 and to the diameter of threads 8 and which, when the filtering arrangement is assembled on the dispensing pump, has its center line coinciding with those of couplings 7 and 8; see FIG. 2. At the upper end of bore 10, casting 9 has a finished (machined) upper face 11 which is adapted to come into firm engagement with the lower face of the body of knuckle 2. A manifold plug 12, positioned in bore 19, serves to fasten the filtering assembly of this invention in place on the knuckle 2 of the dispensing pump, and also provides inanifolding passages for the two fuel components. Plug 12 has a set of straight threads at its upper end which engage the tapered or pipe threads 8 with a loose fit, and has a hexagonal head 13 at its lower end which engages a finished (machined) lower face 14- on casting 9, at the lower end of bore 10. Thus, by screwing up plug 12, casting 9 is tightly secured to the lower end of the pump elbow or knuckle 2.

Prior to the placing of casting9 in position, however, the short pipe nipple which is normally threaded into aperture 7 is removed and a replacement nipple 15, which carries threads at its upper end and an O-ring 16 located in an external groove near its lower end, is threaded into aperture 7. The upper end of the central bore in nipple thus communicates with the outer end of passageway 4.

To prevent leakage of fuel past the loosely-fitting threads at 8 to the outside of the casting, an O-ring 17 is positioned in a groove in face 11, at the upper end of the casting bore 10, this O-ring contacting the outer cylindrical surface of plug 12, below the threads at the upper end thereof, and also contacting upper face 11 of the casting.

At its upper end, plug 12 has an internal axially-extending bore 18 whose diameter is considerably greater than the CD. of nipple 15, thereby providing an annular channel around the outside of nipple 15, the upper end of this channel communicating with the outer end of passageway 5. The lower end of bore 18 terminates at an internal shoulder 19, and plug 12 has a smaller-diameter axiallyextending bore 20 therein, the upper end of which is located at the upper face of shoulder 19 and the lower end .of which is located adjacent head 13. The O-ring 16 engages the cylindrical surface of bore 21) and prevents fluid from flowing through this bore, around the outside of nipple 15. An O-ring 21 is positioned in a groove provided in the outer surface of plug 12, and seals against the wall of bore 10, just below the upper face of shoulder 19.

Located so as to be just above shoulder 19, there is a continuous internal annular recess 22 in the body of casting 9, and in the body of the casting there is provided an internal fluid passage 23 one end of which opens into the outer wall of recess 22, at the right-hand side of the vertical center line in FIG. 1, and the other end of which opens'into the bottom wall of a continuous annular recess 24 which is located at the right-hand side of the casting in FIG. 1 (also in FIG. 3) and which is open at its upper end. Recess 24 is one of two similar recesses provided in casting 9, and serves as an inlet passage for one of the two similar filtering elements or cartridges, to be later described.

Immediately above shoulder 19, plug 12 has four radially-extending holes 25 (spaced apart, and the center lines of which lie in a common horizontal plane) drilled through the wall of bore 18, and providing fluid communication between bore 18 and casting recess 22. Thus, the low-octane fuel component flowing through knuckle of elbow passageway 5 flows downwardly through the outer annular portion of bore 18, around the outside of nipple 15, and thence radially outwardly through holes 25 into recess 22, and thence through passage 23 into the recess 24. The O-rings 16 and 21 prevent any flow of this fuel component below shoulder 19, and the O-ring 17 prevents any flow of this fluid to the outside of the casting, at face 11.

Located so as to be just below shoulder 19, there is a continuous internal annular recess 26 in the body of casting 9, and in the casting body there is provided an internal fiuid passage 27 one end of which opens into the outer wall of recesss 26, at the left-hand side of the vertical center line in FIG. 1, and the other end of which open-s into the bottom wall of a continuous annular recess 28 which is located at the left-hand side of the casting in FIG. 1 (also in FIG. 3) and which is open at its upper end. Recess 28 is similar to recess 24, and serves as an inlet passage for a filtering element or cartridge.

Immediately below shoulder 19, plug 12 has four radially-extending holes 29 (spaced 90 apart, and the center lines of which lie in a common horizontal plane) drilled through the wall of bore 28, and providing fluid communication between bore 211 and casting recess 26. Thus, the highoctane fuel component flowing through knuckle or elbow passageway 4 flows downwardly through the central bore in nipple 15, out the lower end of this nipple, and thence radially outwardly through holes 29 into recess 26, and thence through passage 27 into the recess 28. The O-rings 16 and 21 prevent any mixing of the high-octane and low-octane fuel components, and these two fluids are conveyed through their separate passages 27 and 23 into their respective annular recesses 28 and 24. An O-ring 30 is positioned in a groove provided in the outer surface of plug 12, between head 13 and holes 29, this O-ring sealing against the wall of bore 10. O-ring 38 prevents any flow of the highoctane fuel component to the outside of the casting, at face 14.

A hose nipple 31, which has grooves 32 at its lower end for enabling clamping of a hose thereto, is mounted in the casting 9 by means of a central threaded portion which threads into a centrally-located tapped aperture 33 provided in the bottom wall of recess 28. In actual practice (although this is not illustrated in FIG. 3), a boss may be cast at the center of recess 28, this boss having a tapped aperture therein (for reception of nipple 31), the upper finished surface of this boss lying in the same horizontal plane as the upper surface of the cylindrical wall defining recess 28.

The upper end of nipple 31 carries external threads for cooperation with a female threaded fitting provided at the center of the base of a filter cartridge denoted generally by numeral 34. The filter cartridge 34 is of the so-called spin-on type, and is manufactured as a complete unit including an outer housing 35, a bottom sealing gasket 36, and interiorly-mounted solid filtering material 37. The gasket 36, when the cartridge 34 is screwed home, seals against the upper surface of the cylindrical wall defining recess 28. The filter cartridge 34 performs the function of filtering of the high-octane fuel component which is fed into recess 28. The bottom plate 38 of the filter cartridge 34 overlies the upper end of recess 28, and this bottom plate has therein a plurality of apertures 39 through which the fluid flows, it being then directed to flow radially outwardly to the radiallyouter surface of the filtering material 37. It then flows radially inwardly through this material (solid foreign particles being filtered out of the fluid, or removed therefrom, during its travel through the material 37), and through a foraminous inner partition 40 into a central opening 41 which communicates at its lower end with the upper end of the bore 42 in nipple 31. The filtered high-octane fuel component then proceeds downwardly through bore 42 and into the inner end of the central tube of a dispensing hose (not shown) whose central tube is clamped and sealed to the lower end 32 of nipple 31. This filtered fuel component then flows through the central tube of the dispensing hose to the dispensing nozzle, where it is mixed with the low-octane fuel component to provide a blended fuel product, which is dispensed into the customers tank.

A short nipple 43 is mounted in the casting 9 by means of a threaded portion at its lower end which threads into a centrally-located tapped aperture 44 provided in the bottom wall of recess 24. In actual practice, a boss may be utilized here, as previously described in connection with aperture 33.

The upper end of nipple 43 carries external threads for cooperation with a female threaded fitting provided at the center of the base of a filter cartridge denoted generally by numeral 34'. The filter cartridge 34' is preferably of exactly the same construction as filter cartridge 34, previously described, and operates in exactly the same fashion. The filter cartridge 34 performs the function of filtering of the low-octane fuel component which is fed into recess 24. The bottom plate of filter cartridge 34' overlies the upper end of recess 24. The low-octane fuel component flows in a radially-inward direction through the filtering material contained in cartridge 34. Solid foreign particles are filtered out of the low-octane fuel component during its travel through the filtering material in cartridge 34, and the filtered fluid flows into central opening 41' of cartridge 34 and thence into the upper end of the bore 45 in nipple 43.

The lower end of bore 45 opens into one end of a transversely-extending internal passageway 46 provided in casting 9, this passageway 46 extending from nipple 43 in a transverse direction and terminating at a point just below and in axial alignment with aperture 33. A tapped aperture 47, with tapered (pipe) threads for example, is provided in the lower wall defining passageway 46, the center lines of aperture 47 and of aperture 33 being collinear and the diameter of aperture 47 being considerably in excess of the CD. of nipple 31, so as to provide an annular space surrounding nipple 31. Nipple 31 extends through aperture 47, and the aperture 47 communicates at it upper end with passageway 46.

From the lower end of bore 45, the filtered low-octane fuel component flows through passageway 46 from right to left in FIG. 3, and then flows through the aperture 47 (and around the outside of nipple 31) into the inner end of the outer tube of a dispensing hose (not shown), whose outer tube is threadedly connected to the aperture 47 (female pipe coupling). This filtered fuel component then flows through the outer tube of the dispensing hose to the dispensing nozzle, where it is mixed with the highoctane fuel component to provide a blended fuel product, which is dispensed into the customers tank.

It will be seen, from the foregoing, that in the filtering arrangement of this invention the two different fuel components (that is to say, the high-octane and the lowoctane fuel components) are conveyed separately from the dispensing pump to and through the separate filter cartridges, and are then conveyed separately to the respective hose couplings 31 and 47, for feeding through the respective hoses to the dispensing nozzle, and all this is done without any mixing of the two components.

It may be seen that the hose couplings 31, 47 in FIG. 3

are used for coupling one end of the dispensing hoses (the other end of which terminates at the dispensing nozzle) to the filtering arrangement of the invention, and thus to take the place of the hose couplings 7, 8 at the elbow 2; in the present invention, these latter hose couplings are used to provide separate, respective inlets to the two filtering elements or cartridges 34 and 34'.

A shell-type protective metal cover 48 (see FIG. 3) surrounds the two upstanding filter cartridges 34 and 34, the bottom edge of cover 48 firmly contacting the upper surfaces of the cylindrical walls defining recesses 24 and 28. Looking down from above, the cover 43 has a dumbbell-shaped outline (see FIG. 1). Cover 48 is held in position by a pair of rods 49 which are threaded at both ends. The lower ends of the rods 49 are threaded into tapped apertures 50 provided in the upper face of the cast body 9. The upper ends of rods 49 extend through suitable holes provided in cover 48, and acorn nuts 51 are screwed onto the upper ends of rods 49 and bear against the upper (outer) face of the cover. It is pointed out that, when necessary, the filter cartridges 34 and 34' can be easily replaced. To do this, nuts 51 are unscrewed and the cover 48 then lifted off. Then, the filter cartridge to be replaced is unscrewed from the corresponding nipple 31 or 43, and the new cartridge screwed into its place. Then, the cover 48 is replaced and cover nuts 51 are tightened.

The invention claimed is:

1. A dual fluid filter adapted for connection to a fluid supply fitting which separately delivers two different fluids; said filter comprising a chambered mounting body including thereon an upper filter-mounting face, an elongate manifold plug sealed into said body and cooperating with the fluid supply fitting to provide two separate longitudinally-extending fluid passageways one of which surrounds the other, said body having therein a first transversely extending fluid passage one end of which communicates with said one surrounding passageway and the other end of which opens into the upper face of said body and also having therein a second transversely-extending fluid passage isolated from said first passage, one end of said second passage communicating with said other passageway and the other end of said second passage opening into the upper face of said body; and two filter cartridges mounted on the upper face of said body in side-by-side but spaced relationship and covering the open ends of said first and second passages, respectively, said body also having therein two separate fluid outlets one of which surrounds the other, the outlet sides of said two filter cartridegs being coupled to respective ones of said fluid outlets.

2. Filter in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cou pling between one of the fluid outlets and the outlet side of the corresponding filter cartridge comprises a transversely-extending passage in said body opposite ends of which communicate respectively with said one fluid outlet and with the outlet side of the corresponding filter cartridge.

3. A dual liquid filter adapted for connection to a fuel supply fitting which separately delivers two types of liquid fuels; said filter comprising a chambered mounting body including thereon an upper filter-mounting face, an elongate manifold plug sealed into said body and cooperating with the fluid supply fitting to provide two separate longitudinally-extending fuel passageways, an inner one and an outer concentric one which surrounds the other, said body having therein a first transversely-extending fuel passage one end of which communicates with said second outer passageway and the other end of which opens into the upper face of said body and also having therein a second transversely-extending fuel passage isolated from said first passage, one end of said second passage communicating with said first inner passageway and the other end of said second passage opening into the upper face of said body; and two filter cartridges mounted on the upper face of said body in side-by-side but spaced relationship, one of said two cartridges covering the open end of said first passage and the other of said two cartridges covering the open end of said second passage, said body also having therein two separate fuel outlets, an inner one and an outer concentric one which surrounds the other, the outlet side of said one filter cartridge being coupled to said second outer outlet and the outlet side of said other filter cartridge being coupled to said first inner outlet.

4. Filter in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coupling between said second outer outlet and the outlet side of said one filter cartridge comprises a transverselyextending passage in said body opposite ends of which communicate respectively with said second outer outlet and with the outlet side of said one filter cartridge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DUAL FLUID FILTER ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A FLUID SUPPLY FITTING WHICH SEPARATELY DELIVERS TWO DIFFERENT FLUIDS; SAID FILTER COMPRISING A CHAMBERED MOUNTING BODY INCLUDING THEREON AN UPPER FILTER-MOUNTING FACE, AN ELONGATE MANIFOLD PLUG SEALED INTO SAID BODY AND COOPERATING WITH THE FLUID SUPPLY FITTING TO PROVIDE TWO SEPARATE LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING FLUID PASSAGEWAYS ONE OF WHICH SURROUNDS THE OTHER, SAID BODY HAVING THEREIN A FIRST TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING FLUID PASSAGE ONE END OF WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH SAID ONE SURROUNDING PASSAGEWAY AND THE OTHER END OF WHICH OPENS INTO THE UPPER FACE OF SAID BODY AND ALSO HAVING THEREIN A SECOND TRANSVERSELY-EXTENDING FLUID PASSAGE ISOLATED FROM SAID FIRST PASSAGE, ONE END OF SAID SECOND PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OTHER PASSAGEWAY AND THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND PASSAGE OPENING INTO THE UPPER FACE OF SAID BODY; AND TWO FILTER CARTRIDGES MOUNTED ON THE UPPER FACE OF SAID BODY IN SIDE-BY-SIDE BUT SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND COVERING THE OPEN ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGES, RESPECTIVELY, SAID BODY ALSO HAVING THEREIN TWO SEPARATE FLUID OUTLETS ONE OF WHICH SURROUNDS THE OTHER, THE OUTLET SIDES OF SAID TWO FILTER CARTRIDGES BEING COUPLED TO RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID FLUID OUTLETS. 